A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 186

I lost count of how many times I fainted and regained consciousness.

My body was burning hot, as if it had turned into a ball of fire, and it felt as heavy as cotton soaked in water.

On top of that, every time I woke up, I coughed or vomited blood—everything was utter chaos.

The doctor and nurses seemed to rush in to handle it, but I doubted if it was of any use.

Anyway, I endured pain so intense that a second felt like an hour, doing my best not to die.

Although I frequently lost consciousness, I somehow managed to open my eyes again.

It had been a long time since I felt the boundary between life and death. I believed I would rise again.

Haven’t people always said that the will to live is crucial for survival?

Even in the forest, that will became my driving force, allowing me to survive until the end. A disease is no different.

“··· ···”

I don’t know how much longer I endured like that. I blinked and looked up at the ceiling.

My body still felt heavy, but unlike before, it was no longer hot. It was just in poor condition.

This meant that the fever had almost subsided. Although moving was still difficult, I could keep my mind clear.

“······Ah.”

My throat felt scratchy and dry. I had been sweating buckets and barely drank any water.

I wasn’t dehydrated, but I desperately wanted something to drink. I turned my head to look to the side.

“··· ···”

Kara was sitting on a chair. She was leaning against the wall while seated.

Judging by her shallow breathing and closed eyes, she seemed to be asleep.

Beside her, on the bed, Ellie was sound asleep, lying together with Luna.

It appeared that the three of them had been taking turns nursing me. That must mean my condition had been quite severe.

‘My body······ is too hard to move.’

Maybe it was because my mana was depleted, but my regeneration was absurdly slow.

No, it felt more like regeneration wasn’t happening at all. I took a deep breath in and exhaled.

Doing this seemed to help with regeneration, even if just a little. Still, I needed to eat something.

‘Aside from that, I don’t seem to have any other discomfort.’

Normally, when a high fever persists for a long time, it leaves permanent damage.

However, my senses were vivid. My limbs felt slightly numb, but there was no discomfort in moving them.

I blinked as I checked my surroundings and then turned my head. For now, I wanted to wake Kara and ask for water.

“Ka······ Keck.”

As I tried to speak, I coughed. My throat was so dry it was unbearable.

Moreover, I wasn’t fully recovered yet. The fever lingered, and I still couldn’t move my body.

“Mmm······? Sivar?”

Still, thanks to that, Kara woke up. It seemed she had only been pretending to sleep, ready to react to even the smallest sound.

She looked at me with a drowsy expression before quickly shaking her head to wake herself up.

Then, she carefully observed me in the darkness and spoke in a startled voice.

“Are—are you okay? How are you feeling? What’s your condition?”

“Wa······”

“Water? Got it. Wait a moment.”

When I asked for water, Kara moved busily.

Soon, she poured water into a cup and carefully brought it to my lips.

I wanted to sit up, but my body was too heavy to manage even that.

Gulp—gulp—

“Phew.”

I let out a sigh of relief. The lukewarm water felt as refreshing as cold spring water.

Meanwhile, Kara used the back of her hand and her palm to feel various parts of my face. She seemed to be checking my temperature.

“Your fever has gone down a lot. Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.”

Confirming that my fever had subsided, Kara spoke with a slightly trembling voice. Hearing that, I stared intently at her face.

She was smiling in relief. Her eyes were slightly red, showing how much she had been worried.

Well, considering I had been vomiting intermittently, it was only natural for her to be concerned. I felt a little sorry.

“Are you okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that? You’re not fully recovered yet, so get some more rest.”

Kara gently stroked my face. Her touch was filled with affection.

Though her movements were clumsy, the kindness in her touch was unmistakable. I blinked and spoke to Kara.

“You should sleep too.”

“I will, after you sleep first.”

“Then I won’t sleep either.”

“Ha. Look at this stubborn one.”

Kara chuckled softly and pinched my cheek. But I remained firm.

Judging by the situation, she had been taking care of me all night without sleeping. She needed rest too.

Besides, I had just confirmed while drinking water that my body was slowly but surely recovering.

I could confidently say there wouldn’t be any more complications—unless I ate something strange, that is.

Shuffle—shuffle—

I moved my hips and upper body as much as I could to create an empty space.

Ellie and Luna were sleeping together on the bed beside me, so there was no room left there.

I didn’t want to make her lie on the other bed either. Being sick and alone had made me feel truly lonely.

“Lie down.”

“I told you, I can’t.”

“Then I won’t sleep.”

“Ugh. Fine.”

Kara was the first to give in. She glanced back to check on the sleeping Ellie and Luna.

Then, she moved quietly, careful not to make any noise, and slipped into the space I had made on the bed.

Despite sweating so much that I should have smelled bad, there was no odor. It seemed the sheets had been changed frequently.

“Now, go to sleep. Got it?”

“Okay.”

“Were you really lonely?”

“I was miserable.”

It wasn’t just loneliness; it was misery. I had been in so much pain, and there was no one by my side.

It had been a long time since I craved human warmth so desperately. They say familiarity makes you forget what’s precious, and it was spot on.

I wondered if I could stay alone in the dormitory from now on. Honestly, I wanted to live with someone else.

‘Isn’t there a dormitory rule about that?’

I couldn’t remember the details, so I wasn’t sure. If anything, the rules were probably strict, not lenient.

I turned to look at Kara. She was smiling softly as she gazed at me.

I stared at her for a moment, then closed my eyes and slowly leaned into her. Her body felt cool, perhaps because of my lingering fever.

Tap—tap—

As soon as I leaned in, Kara began patting my back. It felt like such a natural gesture.

With Kara supporting me, I headed toward the restroom. I planned to at least wash my face.

When we finally reached the restroom door, I spoke to Kara.

“I’ll walk on my own now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Gradually, strength was returning to my legs. Walking should be manageable now.

Kara still seemed doubtful but cautiously let go of her support. I stood upright, putting as much strength into my legs as possible.

Thankfully, I didn’t lose my balance or fall clumsily. All I had to do now was walk forward.

‘Slowly...’

I could feel the worried gazes behind me. It was like they were watching a baby take its first steps.

Step by careful step, I moved until I stood confidently in front of the restroom door. Now all that was left was to open it and go inside.

When I grabbed the handle firmly, it happened. Was it because I used too much strength, or was there another reason?

Creak!

“Huh?”

The moment I grabbed it, the door handle bent. To clarify, it didn’t break—it bent.

It seemed to be a wooden handle, which explained it. I didn’t think much of it as I opened the door.

Sway—

“Ah.”

I must’ve let my guard down. As soon as I opened the door, my legs gave out, and I lost my balance.

Kara, startled, rushed toward me from behind, but it was too late. To stop myself from falling, I grabbed onto something—anything.

What I ended up grabbing was the wide-open restroom door. I tried to hold on with all my might to prevent myself from falling, but...

Crack!!

The door came off entirely. Why was it so weak?

In the end, as the door detached, I landed on my butt. The detached door came along with me as a bonus.

“Are you okay? I told you to be careful.”

“Sorry.”

Kara dusted off my clothes and helped me back to my feet. We left the detached door lying around haphazardly.

She seemed to think it was just because the door was weak. I had a similar thought.

Clatter!

“Ah.”

But when I applied just a little force to the sink, it completely shattered.

Crunch!

“Sivar. Don’t play around with the utensils.”

“I’m not playing around······”

Even when I ate alone, the utensils would get bent.

“Luna.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Shake hands for a moment.”

“Why a handshake······ Aaaaah!!”

When I gave her hand a slight squeeze during the handshake, Luna winced in pain.

Overall, my strength had become abnormally powerful. It should have weakened, but the opposite happened.

Watching Luna clutch her hand in pain, I glanced at my own hand. Something felt off.

‘What the hell is going on?’

I figured it would be best to check my status window first. There must have been some kind of change.

[Sivar]

[Possessed Traits]

• Wild Instinct (???)

• Rampage (Ex)

• Tenacity (SSS)

• Iron King (SS)

• Poison Resistance (SS)

• Digestion (S+)

• Dexterity (A)

[Possessed Techniques]

• Ambush (Ex)

• Throwing (Ex)

• Combat (B+)

• Weaponry Skill (B)

[Possessed Abilities]

• Red Mana (Ex)

• Regeneration (SSS)

• Thunder (S)

What is this? Why does my status window look like this?

Among the basic abilities, all the stats related to my body had disappeared.

They didn’t just turn into ???; they vanished entirely, as if they’d never existed in the first place.

What on earth had happened to make my physical abilities so bizarre? I couldn’t understand it.

“Ugh······”

“Luna? Are you in pain?”

“M-My eyes suddenly······ feel like they’re being pierced.”

Then, something strange happened to Luna. She pressed against her eyes, complaining of pain.

The handshake I could understand since I had intentionally gripped her hand a bit harder, but I hadn’t touched her eyes at all.

“W-Wait a second. My eyes hurt so much.”

“How bad is it?”

“It feels like they’re being stabbed with needles. Ugh······”

Now it seemed Luna was the one experiencing a problem. She held her eyes, groaning in pain.

In the end, Luna had no choice but to lie down next to me on my bed. Ice packs for her eyes were an added bonus.

“C-Could this be some kind of punishment?”

“··· ···”

That mouth of hers just never stops running, does it?

Watching Luna groaning beside me, I turned my head toward the ceiling. There was something I needed to check.

‘Lord Chaos. If you’re there, please raise my faith.’

[Faith Increases!]

Thank goodness. Chaos is still around. It would’ve been boring without them.

[Faith Decreases!]

Don’t give and then take it back. That’s just cruel.